5870人收藏

131条评论

在网易云音乐打开

风格
#深度灵魂乐 #灵魂乐 #南方灵魂乐 #节奏布鲁斯
地区
United States of America 美国

艺人介绍

跟许多灵魂歌手一样,Otis Redding也是在教堂的唱诗班里得到音乐启蒙教育的。他出生于1941年九月,父亲是浸信会的牧师。喜爱音乐的他,高中都没有毕业就辍学了。有一次,他在一家医院里打工,还因为忘情的在大厅里歌唱而遭到开除。

为了能够接近他所喜爱的音乐,他在家乡找了一份工作,替当地一支合唱团担任打杂的小弟,偶而也客串演唱。1962年,他开车送合唱团的成员到曼斐斯的某家唱片公司去试音,由于主角不是他,在录音的过程中,他只好乖乖的坐在角落里,合唱团录完之后,他忍不住表示自己也很希望能有机会录音。在录音时间还剩余二十分钟的情况下,唱片公司老板同意让他试试看。

他录了两首歌,第一首让老板觉得太像他从小崇拜的老牌黑人摇滚歌手Little Richard,第二首则是一首抒情的歌谣曲「These Arms of Mine」,老板虽然并不是特别的欣赏,还是决定予以发行,结果却意外的成了他的第一首进榜单曲。

其后的几年间,Otis Redding陆续又有了其他几首R&B的畅销曲,包括「Pain in My Heart」、「Security」、「I've Been Loving You Too Long」、「Respect」以及替他赢得更多注意的歌曲,翻唱自滚石合唱团经典的「(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction」等等。其中发表于1965年的「Respect」在1967年由Aretha Franklin成功的翻唱并且夺得冠军,轰动了歌坛。

只是当时他的知名度仅限于黑人,对于绝大多数的白人来说,仍然没有几个人认识他。为了替他宣传,唱片公司安排了巡迴演唱的行程,把他的名声传到了欧洲,尤其是英国和法国,接著他们回到美国,参加蒙特利流行音乐节的演出。他是最后上场的,也是那次活动中唯一的灵魂歌手,而在他上台的时候,已经过了午夜,疲累的白人观众很多都在打瞌睡了,根本无心注意这位他们几乎毫不认识的黑人歌手。

Otis Redding以一首充满活力的「Shake」,炒热了现场,使得他在那次演唱会中的表现成了传奇。而由于他也是第一次接触到那种嬉皮听众,他颇有感触,演唱结束之后,他在停靠在旧金山附近的一艘游艇上写下了「(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay」这首歌。1967年十二月七号,他进入录音室,把这首歌曲录制下来,在歌曲的开头,他加上了海浪和海鸥的声音,用柔和的节奏,唱出了一个孤独男人心中的渴望。

三天之后,十二月十号,他结束了威斯康辛的一场演唱之后,登上了他刚刚购买的双引擎小飞机,准备前往康乃狄格去演出。当时的他,可以说是志得意满,因为不但他的「Respect」被灵魂歌后Aretha Franklin唱红,他本人也刚被英国著名的Melody Maker读者票选为全世界最佳的男歌手,取代了过去八年由猫王所霸占的宝座。

那天的气候十分不利于飞行,空中弥漫著浓雾。起飞之后不久,飞机就在离机场四英里的地方失事坠毁,很快的沉没在冰冷的湖水中,Otis Redding就这样结束了他短短的一生,只活了二十六岁。跟他一起丧生的,还包括了飞机的驾驶员、他的仆从和Bar-Keys乐队的四名团员。

四千五百位歌迷和亲友参加了他的丧礼。在他过世之后,唱片公司发行了「(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay」,很快的就直冲榜首,成为他一生之中唯一的冠军曲,可惜他自己却享受不到那些荣誉了。1980年,他的两个儿子跟一个表弟组成了「The Reddings」合唱团,翻唱了「(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay」,并且得到第五十五名,成为有史以来第一首由原唱者的后人重新唱红的冠军曲。

One of the most influential soul singers of the 1960s, Otis Redding exemplified to many listeners the power of Southern deep soul — hoarse, gritty vocals, brassy arrangements, and an emotional way with both party tunes and aching ballads. He was also the most consistent exponent of the Stax sound, cutting his records at the Memphis label/studios that did much to update R&B into modern soul. His death at the age of 26 was tragic not just because he seemed on the verge of breaking through to a wide pop audience (which he would indeed do with his posthumous number one single, [Sittin On] The Dock of the Bay). It was also unfortunate because, as Dock of the Bay demonstrated, he was also at a point of artistic breakthrough in terms of the expression and sophistication of his songwriting and singing.

Although Redding at his peak was viewed as a consummate, versatile showman, he began his recording career in the early 60s as a Little Richard-styled shouter. The Georgian was working in the band of guitarist Johnny Jenkins at the time, and in 1962 he took advantage of an opportunity to record the ballad These Arms of Mine at a Jenkins session. When it became an R&B hit, Reddings solo career was truly on its way, though the hits didnt really start to fly until 1965 and 1966, when Mr. Pitiful, Ive Been Loving You Too Long, I Cant Turn You Loose, a cover of the Rolling Stones Satisfaction, and Respect (later turned into a huge pop smash by Aretha Franklin) were all big sellers.

Redding wrote much of his own material, sometimes with the assistance of Booker T. & the MGs guitarist Steve Cropper. Yet at the time, Reddings success was primarily confined to the soul market; his singles charted only mildly on the pop listings. He was nonetheless tremendously respected by many white groups, particularly the Rolling Stones, who covered Reddings Thats How Strong My Love Is and Pain in My Heart. (Redding also returned the favor with Satisfaction.)

One of Reddings biggest hits was a duet with fellow Stax star Carla Thomas, Tramp, in 1967. That was the same year he began to show signs of making major inroads into the white audience, particularly with a well-received performance at the Monterey Pop Festival (also issued on record). Reddings biggest triumph, however, came just days before his death, when he recorded the wistful (Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay, which represented a significant leap as far as examination of more intensely personal emotions. Also highlighted by crisp Cropper guitar leads and dignified horns, it rose to the top of the pop charts in early 1968.

Redding, however, had perished in a plane crash in Wisconsin on December 10, 1967, in an accident that also took the lives of four members from his backup band, the Bar-Kays. A few other singles became posthumous hits, and a good amount of other unreleased material was issued in the wake of his death. These releases werent purely exploitative in nature, in fact containing some pretty interesting music, and little that could be considered embarrassing. What Redding might have achieved, or what directions he might have explored, are among the countless tantalizing what if questions in rock & roll history. As it is, he did record a considerable wealth of music at Stax, which is now available on thoughtfully archived reissues.


热门评论


最新简评(共131条)